by Romy Sommer
She started making a list of all the things she needed to do when the front door opened. And there stood Marcus.
He was dressed in blue jeans with a flannel shirt open over a white tee. And he was smiling. The warmth in his gaze was enough to set tingles rollicking all over her skin.
She swallowed and glanced up at him. “Hi.”
He joined her on the floor and handed her a brown bag and a bottle of water. “You must be hungry. It’s way past lunch time.”
Her heart kicked against her ribs.
She mumbled thanks and took the bag with trembling fingers, tears burning at the back of her eyes. Thank God some things didn’t change in life.
He sat in silence next to her as she finished her sandwich, drank half the bottle of water. But nothing could dampen the effect of his nearness on her. The lemon scent of his shampoo, the heat from his body-warmth flooded through her. She tried to keep her gaze on her own hands but they kept drifting to his large, rough ones. And that instantly reminded her of how they had felt on her breasts.
Coils of remembered pleasure heated between her thighs.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
She straightened, heat singeing her cheeks.
She shook her head. “I’ve been…” The words stopped as he turned towards her, his gaze eating her up hungrily. She licked her lips, and tried to gather her thoughts. “Marcus, I think it was a bad-”
“It wasn’t, Annie. I’ll flatten you against the floor right now and show you why it isn’t in full view of the village.” He stared at her, desire blazing in his gaze. God, she had dreamed so many times of him looking at her like that. “What I can’t figure out is why the hell we haven’t done it before.”
Her mouth dried at the heat in his words.
Because he had always been in love with someone else and she had been too scared of losing him if she let on how she felt.
She stiffened as he clasped her hand in his and kissed the back of it.
She twined her fingers through his, breathed through the pleasure the simple touch incited and looked into his eyes. “I…it was…it was fantastic.”
A teasing glint appeared in his eyes, his smile playing havoc with her control. His fingers traced lazy circles on the inside of her wrist.
She jerked her hand back. “However, it doesn’t mean that we should…” she swallowed as a frown replaced his smile, “we should continue in that vein.”
“Why the hell not? Are you seeing someone else?”
She glared right back at him. “Of course not.”
“If you’re not, then give me one good reason. I like you, you like me and we light up a storm when we touch each other.”
She pushed herself onto her knees and hugged him on an impulse. His arms tightened around her, the deafening roar of her heartbeat drowning out everything else. She squeezed her eyes shut, locking back the tears.
His embrace was everything that was perfect and good in her life. Shouldn’t she be happy with what she had then?
She leaned back. “I can’t afford to lose you, Marcus. You’re the only one left in this whole wide world for me. If…When things go wrong, as they usually do in these cases, I will lose you and I can’t even bear that thought.”
“I can never cut you out like you did these four years. Whatever happens between us—”
“I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“Ahhh…I see.” Hardness entered his usually carefree gaze. “So you’re back to being boring, dependable, un-risking Annie again then?”
She fell back onto her haunches with a soft thud, waves of hurt barrelling through her. It was exactly what she had always thought of herself. And yet hearing it from his mouth was a thousand times worse.
“Or that wasn’t even an actual risk, was it?” he continued, anger pouring out of his stiff body. “How stupid was I to think it was something special?”
He’d thought it special. Then why was he ruining it?
She glared at him, letting the anger that followed wash through her. She shoved him back with both hands. Not that, God of Well-Defined Muscles that he was, he budged even an inch. “You’ve turned into a jerk, Crowley,” she said, using his last name as she had done so many times whenever they had a fight.
She had a sinking sensation that this was one fight they couldn’t just get over.
“You think I came onto you because it was New Year’s Eve or because I was on the rebound from my ex? I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long, Marcus. Except I always had maybe a few seconds between your breakups and the time you found a new girlfriend again, to make my move.”
He stepped back from her, his face tilted to the side, his gaze studying her curiously. “What the hell, Annie? You never said a thing.”
“Well, it’s a good thing, seeing that I’ve acted on it and we’re fighting now, isn’t it?”
Without a word, he rose to his feet and gave her a hand up. His mouth was narrowed tight, his anger vibrated from him. “See, you might not have used me as rebound— which frankly, I’m beginning to like a lot better than this.” He waved his hands between them, “but you had time to think through all this. You decided what it was going to be, how long it would last. You made up all the rules, without taking my feelings into consideration.
You just played it out like one of those imaginary games you used to love playing. And at the end of the game, you always ended up alone, didn’t you? Hope you enjoy it this time too.”
He pulled a sheaf of papers from his pocket and threw them at the glass display case. “Here’s the lease agreement for the bakery. Put whatever the hell you want on it and deal with Mr. Marshall.”
“You? You bought the bakery? Why?”
“Because I always hoped you would come back one day.” His mouth narrowed tight, he ran a hand through his hair. “Welcome home, Annie.”
Chapter 4
The following week, Annie worked from dawn to dusk, leaving herself no time to even think about Marcus. She hired a part-time helper for the mornings when the bakery opened, ordered a boatload of inventory, and started experimenting with some new recipes she had designed for the menu.
But apparently, her mind could function completely apart from what her body was doing and quite well at that. Even through the exhausting, thorough cleaning she had decided to give the place without help.
Because all she could think of was the resentment in Marcus’s gaze, the cutting disappointment in his words as though she had cheated him, shattered his trust. And by now, she was convinced he had been right.
The rag with which she had been polishing the glass front of the bakery slipped from her fingers. She leaned her forehead against it as the realization set in.
Marcus had been right.
She hadn’t really taken a risk that night, had she? More like, she had stuck her nose out into the cold, enjoyed the cold and then went screaming back inside.
She had only wanted to protect herself from hurt. It was all she had ever done since her mother died. Made sure she never risked anything that might end up hurting her.
And instead she had hurt Marcus through her own selfishness.
Exhaling a shaky breath, she picked up the rag, threw it onto the pile and headed for the toilet in the back.
Within minutes, she bundled herself up in her coat, pulled on her mittens and cap and set off towards the pub. It was almost time for dinner, and she would definitely find Marcus over there. If not, she would just continue on to his cottage.
The chilly air nipped at her nose but she kept walking. And she closed her to mind to any speculation it wanted to indulge in as to what she would say once she found him.
Her gut still felt bottomless though.
#
Marcus picked up the drink from the dark wood bar at the King’s Head and walked back to the booth, preferring to drink alone rather than with his fellow firemen downing pints on the other side. The pub was full tonight, laughter and shouts filling the air around them. It
was the last place he wanted to be, but for once, he didn’t want to be alone at home either.
He took a sip of his drink when Molly, the new elementary school teacher, smiled at him a foot away. He nodded back.
Molly had a sweet smile and she obviously liked him. The way she was always finding excuses to touch him or talk to him left him in no doubt. She was available and she didn’t have any hang ups about it. Just the kind of fun-loving, uncomplicated woman he liked. Because that’s the kind of man he was.
If he wanted something, he went after it, he didn’t analyze it to death, he didn’t put everyone else’s wishes before his own…In short, he had always been a selfish bastard.
Oblivious to everything else around him too, apparently. How else could he have missed the fact that Annie had been attracted to him? How could he have missed it?
He was so lost in thought it took him a minute to respond when Molly neared and asked if she could join him. He nodded without thinking.
Suddenly, she was squeezing next to him on his side of the booth, much too close for comfort.
It took Marcus exactly ten seconds to realize he had zero interest in her. She had the wrong color eyes, she hung onto every word he said with a smile, her smile was too sweet…
In short, she wasn’t Annie.
Whether having a silent meal, or looking at the stars, or kissing until his blood thrummed with desire, he wanted to do it only with Annie. And he didn’t even fight the realization. Hell, what was there to fight about?
What he and Annie shared, whatever it was, was worth a fighting chance, was something that didn’t come by too often. If they didn’t, he would never know what might have been. He would always wonder.
And nothing that happened between them would make him love her any less than he already did. Nothing could change that.
He felt excitement rush through his blood again. All he needed was to convince Annie that he was worth the risk.
He was just about to spin some story about having to leave early when Molly bent towards him and pressed her mouth to his.
Shock spiraled through him. Tightening his fists by his sides so that he didn’t push her away, as every nerve in him wanted to, he waited for Molly to be done kissing him.
It was pleasant, she smelled nice and tasted good. But nothing like the blaze of fireworks that had erupted in his mouth when Annie had kissed him, nothing that would make him weak in the knees and craving more.
Nothing that would make his gut ache when he woke up tomorrow.
Her blue gaze flying open, Molly pulled back. “Nope, huh?”
He smiled ruefully. “Sorry, Molly.”
She smiled, stretched up on her toes and leaned in close. “Would it have anything to do with the woman standing at the entrance glaring at you with barely concealed disgust?”
A shiver ran down Marcus’s spine even before he turned. Annie stood at the entrance, her hands stuck in her coat pockets, her gorgeous hair pushed back under her silly cap.
Across the pub, amidst the voices and laughter around them, he could see the tight set of her mouth, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. Tension poured out from her.
Every inch of him wanted to rush across the room and grab hold of her before she did a one-eighty again. Instead, he forced himself to turn his gaze away from Annie, and bent towards Molly, who watched them with interest.
“Please play along, Molly,” he whispered, and the blonde nodded, her gaze twinkling merrily.
By the time he turned his gaze towards the entrance again, Annie had taken several steps in.
The tension between them must have been more obvious than he had thought because suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd around them. Damn it, the last thing he wanted was the whole town’s attention on him and Annie.
Annie reached them in quick steps, a lone tear sliding down one cheek.
The breath knocked out of him, Marcus moved towards her. He never, ever wanted to hurt her.
“Annie, before—”
Curiously, she slid her upper body sideways. To get a look at Molly, he slowly realized.
“Please don’t take this wrongly, Molly,” Annie said in a crystal clear voice that reverberated around the hushed room. “I’ve only heard the nicest things about you and I’m sure we’ll be great friends soon.”
Apparently satisfied with her statement, because, of course, Annie would die rather than hurt anyone, she turned towards him.
Fire sparkled in her brown eyes. Her delicate jaw wobbled as she took a deep breath. “You could only wait one week?” Her words hitched on a sob, and every muscle in Marcus’s body tightened with tension. “You slept with me, told me what we had was worth taking a chance on, and then just when I convinced myself you were right, here you are, kissing another woman?”
He clamped his hand over her arm, determined to explain, but not with an audience.
She jerked back from him, her tears running freely now.
And Marcus never, not in a million years, saw the punch that clocked his jaw, coming.
She was gone, disappeared from the bar in the two seconds he took to recover from her neatly delivered blow.
Damn if the woman couldn’t land a fine one.
He grabbed his jacket and turned towards the entrance. Most of his own crew, joined by every well-meaning biddy from the town, blocked his way, their collective wrath a palpable thing.
Ignoring the rest, he focused on his friend, Nick, the one he was closest to. Meaning he hung out with him more than anyone else. Because, truly, Annie was the only one he had ever been really close with. And damn if he ever let go of that.
Even if he had to spend the rest of his life convincing her of it.
He felt the hard knot in his chest melt away at the simple realization. That’s what he wanted. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He couldn’t let her slip away again.
Except, she probably hated him now. A second knot took the place of the first one.
“Leave her alone, Marcus,” came the first warning.
He gritted his teeth, ready to take on the whole lot of them the way he was feeling. “Look, guys, this is really none of your business.”
Nick cleared his throat. “It is, Marcus. It’s high time you knew this. If you had stayed away from her—”
Marcus frowned. “Jesus, Nick. I would never do anything to—”
“God, Marcus, you still don’t see it, don’t you? Annie’s been in love with you for God knows how long.”
Marcus staggered back as Nick paused. Shock drifted through him slowly, and he cursed.
“Maybe forever. She knows it, the whole damn town knows it, even Grace knew it. Only you didn’t. So, even if you didn’t mean to hurt her, I think you already have.”
He felt as if a fog was slowly lifting away from his eyes.
And Marcus was just as terrified at the prospect of losing it as he was excited at his discovery.
Chapter 5
She was not going to run away again.
Shaking her right fist to ease its throbbing, Annie pulled the covers back and slid into her bed. So what if the whole town had been witness to her breakdown? This was her home now. She refused to leave. Maybe, Marcus would do the gentlemanly thing for once and leave instead.
That thought didn’t bring the cheer she thought it would.
She plumped her pillow and stared up at the ceiling, tears not far away again.
The door to the bedroom opened with a creak. She jerked upright in the bed as a long shadow slipped into the room. She was just about to scream to high-heaven when the room flooded with light.
She blinked, her jaw hanging open.
Marcus leaned against the closed door. And he didn’t seem in a pleasant mood. In fact, he looked downright furious.
She fell back to the bed, intent on ignoring both the thump-thump of her heart and him.
“Go away, Marcus. I have nothing to say to you.”
She had no idea that such a big man coul
d move so stealthily. She smelled the tangy scent of him, and stiffened. The old bed squeaked and grumbled as he lowered his huge frame onto the bed.
She jerked her sheet upwards. With the brute lying on top of it, it didn’t move.
With a grunt, she pushed up on her elbows and dared a glance his way.
Wrong move.
His blue gaze devoured her, the intensity in it sending tingles all the way to her toes.
He moved to his side. “I wasn’t out on a date with Molly. You owe me an apology.”
The ground slipped from under Annie. Her heart began racing again. This way, she was going to end up with a heart problem. “She kissed you,” she managed to say.
Heat radiated from his huge body and swathed her like a blanket. “She was kissing me, Annie. I wasn’t.” He threw an arm over her casually. Her body instantly went into melt-down mode. “I only want to kiss you.”
Her stomach fluttered at the raspy need in his tone. “I…I’m sorry, Marcus.” She licked her lips and turned towards him. “I’ll apologize in front of the whole town if you want.”
His brow tied into a fierce frown, his gaze didn’t budge from her. “Apparently, the town’s cleverer than I give it credit for.”
A slow churn began in the pit of her stomach. God, she knew where this was going. “What do you mean?” She pushed the question past her throat with the utmost effort.
His hand moved up over her torso, toward her face. Somehow, some time in the last few minutes, he had wedged in closer to her. His rock-solid muscles rubbed just the tiniest bit against her side. His long fingers cupped her jaw, his arm a heavy weight between her breasts.
She had nowhere to look but into the depths of those blue eyes that she had loved for so long.
“Is it true?”
She felt like she was standing on the edge of an abyss. This was it. Either she could lay her heart on the line, risk it all, or live with constant regret that she hadn’t even tried. That she didn’t consider her own happiness worth the risk.